New correctional complex presents challenges
By Carrie Ivardi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Source: TBnewswatch.com
At an information session on Wednesday local staff learned about the government’s plan for both the Thunder Bay jail and the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre to remain operational once a new complex is complete.
Members of the provincial leadership, including Kevin Sawicki, executive director of corrections and institutional services for the Ministry of the Solicitor General were at the information session to discuss the realities of opening the new correctional facility and the plans for the two existing facilities.
“Work is underway to determine the most effective integration of these existing institutions with the new facility, including required infrastructure repairs and upgrades,” said Solicitor General’s office spokesperson Saddam Khussain in an written statement to Newswatch.
With a goal of opening the new complex in June 2027, staffing, training and facility upgrades are the biggest challenges, according to Shawn Bradshaw.
Bradshaw, president of the OPSEU union local that represents workers at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, was at the session and said, “The new building will require nearly 300 uniformed staff and probably another 150 non-uniformed support staff, plus a management compliment that we do not currently have.”
Bradshaw said that once work on the new structure is substantially complete this November, and while there will be finishing touches applied to the building, the ministry will take control of it. “At that point we will start trying to integrate our staff and work to make it operational, because currently we’re not in there. So we have to see how the building actually flows and train staff to be comfortable working in that environment.”
He said that training officers on the new site within 14 months is going to be a huge endeavour.
“They would require time to acclimate and be trained,” said Bradshaw. “It’s like any trade, you kind of start as an apprentice, you work your way up, you get comfortable with the tools.”
Bradshaw emphasized that “it takes time for staff to navigate and understand how to work with the inmates and their needs and their struggles in order to be effective.”
“They need senior staff to help them, all while basically doubling the officer complement in Thunder Bay.”
The real staffing challenge, said Bradshaw, is the need to operate the existing facilities as well as the new one.
“My understanding is that they intend to suspend the existing operations, operationalize the new building then slowly reopening the older infrastructure,” he said.
Upgrades to the century-old jail will need to be facilitated.
“The jail needs an overhaul to its heating and air circulation systems,” said Bradshaw.
He confirmed that there really is a need for all three facilities. “In 2015 the inmate population in Ontario was between 8,000 and 8,500. It is currently over 12,000,” said Bradshaw.
As well, “one of the things that the government has pledged is bail reform, which we anticipate will bring more bodies back into custody, which is, for the safety of Ontarians, probably not the worst thing for sure, but we need a place to put them.”
